Hydraulic water pipe cleaner



192 July 5 7 D. J. McGEEHlN HYDRAULIC? WATER PIPE CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 19, 1926 www 205Go July 5, 1927.

D. J. MGEEHIN HYDRAULIC WATER PIPE CLEANER Filed Feb. 19. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 5, 12927. I g A,

vThis invention relatesv to 'hydraulic'. Waternpipe cleaner, which isA adaptedftof'passl through a water main,sewer.orthelike, and,- 'to remove'all deposits which .adheretothe inside thereof, leaving thepi pe. clear/so that itsgfullcapacity may beeutilized?;l

y The principalobject .of the invent'on provide `an improveddevice of thischaraoter more fully explained in. connection--r with: the;

accompanying drawings, whichillustrate. one embodimentv thereof,l and in `.vv/hi oh Figure 1 is a side elevation. 'v .f Figure 2 is a central longitudinal section. Figure 3 isa transversesection takenon thelineB-S of Figure2.V

AFigure l is a transverse .section taken thegline 4 4 of Figure 2. v` r y Figure 5-is aftransversesection' taken on the line ,5-"5 of `Figure 2. s

Figure' .6 is a. central longitudinal section throughfthe shell, detached.

Figure 47 is a vside elevation of the; i

turbine .which is adapted to be khoused .withintheshell. n .ff.

Figure f8 is a transverse:` sectionv ltaken on theiline 8.-8vof Figure 2, x. f

The device, 4which .constitutesfthe subject matter -of my 'invention, v comprisesv` an, approxirnatelyV cylindrical 4shell or housing f] 0, having outwardly inclined .channels'11 .in its periphery, and-.in these channels are mounted vspursV12,.having teeth '13 adapted to drag againsttheinner surface ofthe pipe;

y A central `sleeve l14 is disposed centrally of. thefshell 10, f andii-s integrally Ac onne ted therewith by-webs `15V. Ahub within the sleeve .14. A A u .Y 'The front end? of thesle'eve 14 isforrned with a flange 17 in front of which a' turbine 18 is rotatablyinount-edfon the reduced, forwardly extendingfportion 19 vofthel hub.

16 is` secured VThe front portion of .-thejturbine -isenclosed 5 v by .a housing extension 2Q, `which is f secured on',the,threadedl-reduced portion. 21 of the shell 10, and. isV provided with outwardlyy directed passageways 22 through which the waterpasses as itleav'es'the turbine .18.. Inside ofjthepassageways 22, the housinge'x;v

for lreceiving a Asecond turbine 24 which lsseured `toa reduced threaded boss 25 extendingforwardly vfrom the turbine 18,. `The y tur-,binef2/l;isformed iwith a collar 26, whichy extends" forwardlyfron the housing eXtenasfitfleaves thegturbjinef. l*Thiskcollar v.has diainetricalfly ,l opposed p ins, 27,' which are secured .to and extend outwardly therefrom,

anden which 'af ring 28,v is pivotally mounted. Asecondiring 29, ,outsideofthe ring 28, has

pinssSOy secured `.toA and',A extending inwardly therefrom into Vthering. 28 inidway between the pins 27, Asoiliatthe outerring29 has a universal connection with thel collar 2,6. v, Bars 31ans ,securedto and extend forfrom the` ring 29,.-and the forwardL ends of the bars ,are curved inwardly and secured to asnialler ring 32., Bristles 33, eXF tending outwardly troni-.the bars 31, are adapted to engage the' inside of the pipe asthe cleaner passesjtherethrough. Resilient strips Silare secured to the ring 29, andl eXtendfforwaiclly'therefroni midway between thebars 31, andare formed .with outwardly i disposed scraper blades .35., the edges of which taper `sion 20, and' through.. whichy the water passes i slightly towardgthe front-f end. f The front end v,of each fstripf 34. has a slotted connection 36`vwith the front. ring 32, soas to permit the strips to `yield inwardlyy .whenever the blades 35 encounter unusual resistance:

The head 37 `is secured to the reduced, forwardly.projecting'fend portion ofv thev hub 1,6, `fand. is provided with a forwardly .and-

outwardly flaredfsurface 38 for directing the water towardthe .blades-Boas it `lea-,ves the turbinef24, so vas towash away theinaterial dislodged bythe bladesin their rotation.

,A block ..39y is'connectedfby a pivot bolt 40. to the;frontend of the head 37, and -a spindle 41, is ip ivotally.connected to the forward end of the Vblock 39-.by apivot bolt 42, 'l

which Aentends transversely to the pivot bolt 40., Thus, the .spindle 41' has a universal pivotal lconnection ywith the head 37, so as to `permit,ittoadapt itself to bends in the pipe as. thev cleaner passes'. therethrough.

The vfront end, ofthe` spindle 41: extends through .and considerablybeyond the i ring 32, and has blades 43 which resiliently enwith a reduced threaded portion 44 for re-v ceiving a clamping ring 45, which is adapted to clamp a packing ring'46, so as to prevent any appreciable amountrof water from passing through the pipe outside of the shell l0. The extension 2O may also be provided with a threaded reduced portion 47 for receiving a clamping ring 48 to cla-mp a secondary packing ring 49.

In'using the pipe cleaner, it is to be understood that the pipe to be cleaned is cut in two places. The hydraulic cleaner is then inserted into the pipe through the first cut, and is carried along by water pressure until it reaches the sec-ond cut. During its travel, it is guided by the blades 43 and the shell 10, and the teeth 13 carried by the latter 'drag against the inner face of the pipe, retarding the travel of the cleaner l while the water passes through the turbines 18 and 24, rotating the same, and thereby rotating the scraper blades 35 and brushes 33. As fast as the scraper blades and brushes dislodge material from the inside of the pipe, it is washed awayby the action of the current, which, in leaving the turbine 24, is diverted outwardly by the head 37. As fast as the inner surface of the pipe is cleaned, the cleaner will be automatically7 carried forward by the pressure of the water, and the scraper blades and brushes will gradually work forward until the pipe is cleared throughout its entire length, and the cleaner arrives at the point where the second cut has been made.

While I have shown .and described 'in detail the preferred form of the invention, it is to be understood that various modifications may be made in the structural details thereof without any material departure from the salient features of the invention as e'X- pressed in the claims.

That is claimed is:

l. In a water pipe cleaner, the combination with a housing, of a hub secured to the -housing and disposed centrally thereof, a

spindle flexibly connected t-o the front end of the hub and having means at its forward end for engaging the wall of the pipe and guiding the cleaner in its progress through the pipe, a turbine rotatably mounted on the hub, and means in front of the housing and rotatable with the turbine to clean the inner surface ofthe pipe.

2. In a water pipe cleaner, the combination witha housing, of a hub secured centrally thereof, a spindle exibly connected to the front end of the hub and having means at its forward end for engaging the wall of the pipe and guiding the cleaner in its progress through the pipe, spurs mounted peripherally of thehousing and having teeth to engage the wall of the pipe, thus constituting a drag for the cleaner and preventing rotation of the housing while traveling through .the pip'e,.jafturbine rotatably mounted on the hub, and meansin front of thehousing and-rotatable with the turbine to clean the inner lsurface of the pipe.

3. In a'water pipe cleaner, the combination with a housing,-ofa sleeve disposed centrally thereof, webs integrallyV connecting the sleeve to the housing, a hub secured in the sleeve and projecting forwardly therefrom, aturbineV rotatably mounted ,onl the hub, a spindle flexibly connected to the front end of the hub and havingmeans at its forward end for engaging the wall of the Vpipe and guiding the cleaner in lits progress through the pipe, spurs mounted peripherally ofthe housing .and having teeth to engage the Vwall of the pipe, thus constituting aV drag for the cleaner, and means in frontA of the housing and rotatable withthe turbine to clean the inner surface vof thepipe.

4. In a water pipe cleaner, the combination with a housing, of'a turbine rotatably mounted within the housing, spurs'mounted peripherally of the housing and having teeth to engage the wall of the pipe, thus constituting a drag for thecleaner, a member located in front of the housing and connected with the. turbine so as torotate therewith, and cleaning elements projecting radially from said member.

5. In a water pipe cleaner, the combination with a housing adapted to be propelled through the pipe by water pressure, of a turbine rotatably mounted within the housing and adapted to be rotated by water passing through the housing, a ring in front of the housingand connected to the turbine Vto rotate therewith, barssecu'red to and eXtending forwardly from said ring, another ring connecting the front ends ,of said' bars, brushes carried by said bars and engageable with the inner surface of said pipe, flexible strips between thebrushes, and scraper blades carried by said v strips, said strips being secured to the rear ringl and having slotted connections with the .front ring.

6. In a water pipe cleaner. the combination of a housingthrough which the water may pass, a turbine rotatably mounted within the housing, cleaningelements in front of the housing and connected with the turbine to rotate therewiththe outer faceof said housing being formed with peripheral channels inclined outwardly, and spurs mounted y l turbine rotatably mounted on the hub in frontof the flangefan extension 'secured to the housing in front of said turbine and' bine Within the front portion ofthehousing extension r.and secured` to the first turbine and receiving the 'Water from said divergent 10 passageways, and cleaning elements in front of the housing extension and `Connected to if the yfseeonolr turbine to rotate therewith.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have'hereto axed my signature.

DANIEL JJMCGEEHIN. 

